Improved wheel for the propulsion of vessels in shoal water



UNITED STATES PATENT 0EEIcE.

OTIA OLDS, OF AURORA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED WHEEL FOR THE PROPULSION 0F VESSELS IN SliOAL WATER.

Specification' forming part 'of Letters Patent N0. 138,715, dated July l1, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTIA OLDS, of the town of Aurora, county of Erie, and Stat-e of New York, have invented a new and useful Device j for Drawing or PropellingVessels over Shoalsin Rivers; and-I do hereby declare that the' *tion with a compoundV frame projected from I the bow ofthe boat, (for propellingthe boat.)

in such manner-'that a lever-purchase may be obtained to lift-upon the bow of the boat, to

ease it over a shoal or bar, while the wheel'rolls upon the bed ofthe stream and exerts a propelling power. upon the boat.

-To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l will pro'ceedto describe its construction and operation.

Figure I is a longitudinal section of my device. Fig. II is a front elevation. Fig. Ill'is a plan view. Y

A, Fig. I, is a rectangular frame made fast to the bow of the boat. B is also a rectangular frame, attached to frameA by means ot' shaft C, upon which is a hand-wheel, c, and 4chain-wheel c'. The mortise-chain D passes over the) chain wheel c and over the `corresponding chainwheel','E, which is secured to shaft F, which runs on journals fitted in suitable boxes. ShaftFis placed at the end of frame B, thus carrying the traction or ground wheel H in front. At'the-rear end of the frame A are twopost-s, y y, inclining forward and supported by bracesw. vA hand-wheel, I, is placed in the posts, while a rope or chain, f, passes sev-` eral times around the' shaft and forward around pulleysdd. Hangers f', secured tocrosspiece a, connect posts h h. This rope or chain passes j from the pulley to and isv secured to cross-piece g, thatcon nect's withinclined postsjj inframe B.

Theframes A andB together -constitu-te what I call a. compound frame, the fraineA-being made fast tothe bow-of the boat, as shown-at T, and projecting therefrom, and the frame B beinghung in the frame A by means of the shaft C, so that it is free-toswng thereon. It sof suicient length toallow the traction or ground wheel H (which is hung therein as shown) to roll upon the bed of the's'tream and pull theboat forward. ,In 'case thelbo'at shall drag heavily upon a' bal-of sand in the stream a purchase is obtained through"`tlie described series of ropes, chains, and pulleys by turnin g the hand-wheel I in one direction', 'so that the bow of the boat willbelifted and' rest mainly upon the-ground-wheel, and vin this-way the boat is easily carried over the'v bar or`sl1allowvplaces in the stream. In casel of deep water the ground-wheel may be lifted entirely olf from' the bottom of thestream by turuing'the handwheel 1in the opposite direction, and caused vto revolve in the-Water, audthusacting .as a

water-wheel. A similar device'niay alsojlie placed "and used at the steril of the vssel to advantage. Steam-power may be `applied to the traction-wheel inany common or' well.

known manner. v

Having thus describediny invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-v The combination of th'e'tractionor ground wheel H with the compound frame A .B,`(in.

cluding the hand-wheel I and lifting ropes and pulleys,).sothat apurchase may be obtained to lift uponthe bow of the boat, substantially as described.

OTIA OLDS.

Witnesses:

' O.ROGERS,

C. S. PRINCE.- 

